[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 371 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 307
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 371
[Report No. 106-563]
To expedite the naturalization of aliens who served with special
guerrilla units in Laos.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 19, 1999
Mr. Vento introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
April 6, 2000
Additional sponsors: Mr. Radanovich, Mr. Dooley of California, Mr.
Holden, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Rohrabacher, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Matsui, Mr.
Weygand, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Olver, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Mr. Condit, Mr.
Gutierrez, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Minge, Mr. Ramstad, Mr.
McDermott, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Abercrombie, Ms. Woolsey, Ms. Brown of
Florida, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. Lantos, Mr.
Underwood, Ms. Waters, Mr. Blagojevich, Mr. Cunningham, Ms. Lee, Mr.
Gekas, Mr. Frost, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Souder, Mr. George Miller of
California, Mr. Kleczka, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Kind of
Wisconsin, Mr. Borski, Mr. English, Mr. Luther, Mr. Herger, Mr. Pombo,
Mr. Petri, Mrs. Capps, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Horn, Mr. Sabo,
Mr. Conyers, Mrs. Myrick, Mrs. Bono, Mr. Barcia, Ms. Sanchez, Mr.
Inslee, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Sweeney, Mr. Bonior, Mr. Leach, Mr. Diaz-
Balart, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Lucas of Oklahoma, Mr. McGovern,
Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. Obey, Mr. Berman, Mr. Scarborough, Ms.
Baldwin, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Barrett of Wisconsin, Mr. Smith of New Jersey,
Mr. Watts of Oklahoma, Mr. Pastor, Mr. Kolbe, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson
of Texas, Mr. Taylor of North Carolina, Mr. Hayworth, Mr. Lipinski, Mr.
Levin, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Rahall, Mrs. Meek of
Florida, Mr. Sawyer, Mr. McNulty, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Capuano,
Mr. Forbes, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. Bilirakis, Ms. Millender-McDonald,
Mr. Wolf, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Hoekstra, Mr. Shays, Mr. Watt of North
Carolina, Mr. Tiahrt, Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania, Mr. Talent, Mr. Jones
of North Carolina, Mr. Peterson of Minnesota, Mr. Rogan, Mr. Hyde, Mr.
McCollum, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Bachus, Mr. Weiner, and Mr. Kuykendall
April 6, 2000
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January
19, 1999]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expedite the naturalization of aliens who served with special
guerrilla units in Laos.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act
of 2000''.
SEC. 2. EXEMPTION FROM ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT FOR CERTAIN ALIENS
WHO SERVED WITH SPECIAL GUERRILLA UNITS OR IRREGULAR
FORCES IN LAOS.
The requirement of paragraph (1) of section 312(a) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1423(a)(1)) shall not apply
to the naturalization of any person--
(1) who--
(A) was admitted into the United States as a
refugee from Laos pursuant to section 207 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157); and
(B) served with a special guerrilla unit, or
irregular forces, operating from a base in Laos in
support of the United States military at any time
during the period beginning February 28, 1961, and
ending September 18, 1978; or
(2) who--
(A) satisfies the requirement of paragraph (1)(A);
and
(B) was the spouse of a person described in
paragraph (1) on the day on which such described person
applied for admission into the United States as a
refugee.
SEC. 3. SPECIAL CONSIDERATION CONCERNING CIVICS REQUIREMENT FOR CERTAIN
ALIENS WHO SERVED WITH SPECIAL GUERRILLA UNITS OR
IRREGULAR FORCES IN LAOS.
The Attorney General shall provide for special consideration, as
determined by the Attorney General, concerning the requirement of
paragraph (2) of section 312(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1423(a)(2)) with respect to the naturalization of any person
described in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 2 of this Act.
SEC. 4. DOCUMENTATION OF QUALIFYING SERVICE.
A person seeking an exemption under section 2 or special
consideration under section 3 shall submit to the Attorney General
documentation of their, or their spouse's, service with a special
guerrilla unit, or irregular forces, described in section 2(1)(B), in
the form of--
(1) original documents;
(2) an affidavit of the serving person's superior officer;
(3) two affidavits from other individuals who also were
serving with such a special guerrilla unit, or irregular
forces, and who personally knew of the person's service; or
(4) other appropriate proof.
SEC. 5. DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR EXEMPTION AND SPECIAL
CONSIDERATION.
In determining a person's eligibility for an exemption under
section 2 or special consideration under section 3, the Attorney
General--
(1) shall review the refugee processing documentation for
the person, or, in an appropriate case, for the person and the
person's spouse, to verify that the requirements of section 2
relating to refugee applications and admissions have been
satisfied;
(2) shall consider the documentation submitted by the
person under section 4;
(3) shall request an advisory opinion from the Secretary of
Defense regarding the person's, or their spouse's, service in a
special guerrilla unit, or irregular forces, described in
section 2(1)(B) and shall take into account that opinion; and
(4) may consider any certification prepared by the
organization known as ``Lao Veterans of America, Inc.'', or any
similar organization maintaining records with respect to Hmong
veterans or their families.
SEC. 6. DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION AND PAYMENT OF FEES.
This Act shall apply to a person only if the person's application
for naturalization is filed, as provided in section 334 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1445), with appropriate fees
not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 7. LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the total number
of aliens who may be granted an exemption under section 2 or special
consideration under section 3, or both, may not exceed 45,000.
Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to facilitate the
naturalization of aliens who served with special guerrilla
units or irregular forces in Laos.''.
Union Calendar No. 307
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 371
[Report No. 106-563]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expedite the naturalization of aliens who served with special
guerrilla units in Laos.
_______________________________________________________________________
April 6, 2000
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union, and
ordered to be printed